• Added Phase 2 BiS Equipment
• Added Phase 3 BiS Equipment
• Reviewed Talent Builds, Consumables, and Rotations

1. Mp5 (Mana per 5 seconds) - Regenerates X mana every 5 seconds. This effect continues while casting, which makes it much better than Spirit when it comes to the sustain that it provides.

2. Intellect - Increases your total Mana Pool and provides you with additional Spell Critical Chance (59,2 Int = 1% Spell Critical Strike Chance). This statistic synergizes with Resto's Ancestral Healing Talent, and a higher mana pool helps with Sustain by quite a bit.

3. Healing Power - Increases your Healing done with Healing Spells. The healing bonus from Healing Power is calculated differently for different Spells and their Ranks, but in general, this is a very beneficial statistic for Resto Shamans.

4. Spell Crit - Increases your chance to land a Critical Strike with your Spells. Criticals made with healing spells tend to overheal your targets which is wasteful, but Spell Crit gets better if you are down-ranking your spells a lot. This statistic strongly synergizes with Resto's Ancestral Healing Talent.

5. Stamina - Increases your total health pool. This statistic, even though it does not affect your Raid performance, should not be overlooked as it is the only thing that separates living Shamans from dead ones. It will help you survive your mistakes and make some aspects of Raiding more forgiving.

6. Spirit -  Increases your mana regeneration while not casting (5-second rule).

Statistic Priority for a Restoration Shaman:

Mp5 =/⇒ Intellect =/⇒ Healing Power =/ ⇒ Spell Crit ⇒ Stamina ⇒⇒ Spirit 

Note: Mp5, Intellect, Healing Power, and Spell Critical are all very beneficial statistics for Restoration Shamans and you should aim to have as much of them in your gear as possible. Stamina, while not as valuable, is also good to have. Spirit, on the other hand, does not contribute nearly as much.

Pure Restoration Shaman Build

Enhancement Tree:

• 5/5 Ancestral Knowledge - There are no other options for these 5 points as all remaining 46 are dedicated to the Restoration Tree already; 5% extra mana will help a bit with your Sustain.

Restoration Tree:

• 5/5 Improved Healing Wave - Increases your HPS by a significant amount and allows you to be a bit more liberal with your heals by reducing Healing Wave's cast time by half a second.
• 5/5 Tidal Focus - Makes your Healing spells more efficient which helps with your sustain.
• 3/3 Ancestral Healing - Your Healing spells now provide your Targets with 25% extra armor for 15s after they crit them. This effect is especially good on Tanks in physical damage-heavy encounters.
• 5/5 Totemic Focus - 25% mana cost reduction on all your Totems is huge for your overall sustain if you are Totem Twisting to provide your group with maximum benefits of Windfury and Grace of Air Totems.
• 5/5 Healing Focus - Provides you with a 70% chance to avoid pushback caused by damage taken while casting a healing spell. This seemingly PvP Talent comes in handy in surprisingly many PvE encounters (all that feature AoE damage and/or add waves essentially).
• 1/1 Totemic Mastery - Increases the area of influence of your Totems that affect friendlies to 30 yards; this makes your support Totems much more effective by allowing them to affect allies that are further away.
• 2/3 Healing Grace - Your Healing spells generate 10% less threat. This minimizes your chances to accidentally pull aggro.
• 5/5 Restorative Totems - Boosts effects of your Healing Stream and Mana Spring Totems by 25%, making them much more effective.
• 5/5 Spiritual Healing - makes your healing spells 10% better.
• 5/5 Tidal Mastery - 5% extra Critical Chance on your healing spells. This strongly synergizes with the Ancestral Healing Talent. On top of that, this Talent makes you more effective during your solo adventures as it works on Lightning Spells as well.
• 3/3 Healing Way - This largely improves your Tank-healing capabilities as it effectively makes a large portion of your Healing Wave casts up to 18% Stronger if you cast them on the same Target. You should use Rank 1 Healing Wave to stack this effect up to 3 quickly in order to get maximum benefits.
• 1/1 Nature's Swiftness - Emergency Cooldown that allows you to Heal your Target instantly once every 3 minutes. This will allow you to keep a critically injured teammate alive and avoid a wipe from time to time.
• 5/5 Purification - Makes your Healing Spells 10% stronger.
• 1/1 Mana Tide Totem - Very powerful group-wide mana restoration tool that allows your group members to maximize their damage output without worrying too much about their mana levels (if it happens to not be on its long, 5-minute cooldown).

Melee Support Restoration Shaman Build

Enhancement Tree:

• 5/5 Ancestral Knowledge
• 1/5 Shield Specialization - This point is up for debate; you can pick Improved Lightning Shield or even Thundering Strikes instead.
• 2/2 Guardian Totems - Makes your Stoneskin, Windwall, and Grounding Totems more effective, which increases your group's defenses by a bit.
• 2/2 Improved Ghost Wolf - Reduces casting time of your Ghost Wolf ability to 1 second. It makes you much more mobile, but only outdoors. You can swap this for Improved Lightning Shield, Shield Specialization, or even Thundering Strikes if you like.
• 2/2 Enhancing Totems - Makes your Grace of Air and Strength of Air Totems 15% more effective, making you desirable in melee groups that benefit from those Totems.

Restoration Tree:

• 5/5 Improved Healing Wave. 
• 5/5 Tidal Focus. 
• 3/3 Ancestral Healing. 
• 5/5 Totemic Focus. 
• 5/5 Healing Focus. 
• 1/1 Totemic Mastery. 
• 5/5 Restorative Totems. 
• 5/5 Spiritual Healing. 
• 3/3 Healing Way. 
• 1/1 Nature's Swiftness. 
• 5/5 Purification. 
• 1/1 Mana Tide Totem. 

• Pre-Raid - The Hammer of Grace (Contained in Chest of The Seven, Blackrock Depths)
• Phase 1 - Aurastone Hammer (drop from Garr, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - High Warlord's Battle Mace (Rank 14 PvP Reward) / Aurastone Hammer 
• Phase 3 - Claw of Chromaggus (Drop from Chromaggus, Blackwing Lair) / Lokamir il Romathis (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) / High Warlord's Battle Mace 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Brightly Glowing Stone (Drop from King Gordok, Dire Maul)
• Phase 1 - Malistar's Defender (drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Malistar's Defender / High Warlord's Tome of Mending (Rank 14 PvP Reward) / Lei of the Lifebrionger (Alterac Valley Reputation Reward - Exalted) 
• Phase 3 - Red Dragonscale Protector (Drop from Vaelestrasz the Corrupt, Blackwing Lair) / High Warlord's Tome of Mending / Lei of the Lifebrionger 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Phase 2 - Amberseal Keeper (Drop from Lord Kazzak, Blasted Lands World Boss) / High Warlord's War Staff (Rank 14 PvP Reward) 
• Phase 3 - Staff of the Shadow Flame (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) / Amberseal Keeper / High Warlord's War Staff 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Second Wind  (Golem Lord Argelmach, Blackrock Depths) / Mindtap Talisman (drop from Magister Kalendris, Dire Maul West)
• Phase 1 - Mindtap Talisman / Second Wind
• Phase 2 - Second Wind 
• Phase 3 - Rejuvenating Gem (Drop from Firemaw, Flamegor, and Ebonroc, Blackwing Lair) 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Mindtap Talisman (not unique, you can equip two)
• Phase 1 - Shard of the Scale (drop from Onyxia, Onyxia's Lair)
• Phase 2 - Shard of the Scale 
• Phase 3 - Shard of the Scale 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Animated Chain Necklace (Drop from Ramstein the Gorger, Stratcholme)
• Phase 1 - Animated Chain Necklace / Choker of the Fire Lord (Drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core) 
• Phase 2 - Animated Chain Necklace / Choker of the Fire Lord 
• Phase 3 - Pendant of the Fallen Dragon (Drop from Vaelestrasz the Corrupt, Blackwing Lair) / Animated Chain Necklace / Choker of the Fire Lord 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Fordring's Seal (Quest Reward from "In Dreams", Western Plaguelands; Tirion Fordring Chain)
• Phase 1 - Cauterizing Band (contained in Cashe of the Firelord, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Cauterizing Band 
• Phase 3 - Cauterizing Band 
• Phase 4 - TBA 
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Mark of the Dragon Lord (drop from Overlord Wyrmthalak, Upper Blackrock Spire) / Rosewine Circle (drop from Urok Doomhowl, Lower Blackrock Spire)
• Phase 1 - Cauterizing Band (not unique, you can equip two)
• Phase 2 - Cauterizing Band
• Phase 3 - Pure Elementium Band (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Insightful Hood (drop from Cho'Rush the Observer, Dire Maul North)
• Phase 1 - Earthfury Helmet (drop from Garr, Molten Core) / Helmet of Ten Storms (drop from Onyxia, Onyxia's Lair)
• Phase 2 - Crystal Adorned Crown 9Drop from Azuregos, Azshara World Boss) / Earthfury Helmet* / Helmet of Ten Storms**
• Phase 3 - Crystal Adorned Crown / Earthfury Helmet* / Helmet of Ten Storms**
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid -  Robes of the Exalted (drop from Baron Rivendare, Stratcholme)
• Phase 1 - Robes of the Exalted / Earthfury Vestments* (drop from Golemagg the Incinerator, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Robes of the Exalted / Earthfury Vestments*
• Phase 3 - Breastplate of Ten Storms** (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) / Robes of the Exalted / Earthfury Vestments*
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Padre's Trousers (drop from Illyanna Ravenoak, Dire Maul West)
• Phase 1 - Earthfury Legguards* (drop from Magmadar, Molten Core) / Salamander Scale Pants (drop from multiple Bosses, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Earthfury Legguards* 
• Phase 3 - Empowered Leggings (Drop from Chromaggus, Blackwing Lair) / Legplates of Ten Storms** (Drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core) / Earthfury Legguards* 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Harmonious Gauntlets (drop from King Gordok, Dire Maul North)
• Phase 1 - Harmonious Gauntlets / Earthfury Gauntlets* (drop from Gehennas, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Harmonious Gauntlets / Earthfury Gauntlets* 
• Phase 3 - Gauntlets of Ten Storms** (Drop from Firemaw, Flamegor, and Ebonroc, Blackwing Lair) / Harmonious Gauntlets / Earthfury Gauntlets* 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Omnicast Boots (drop from Golem Lord Ardelmach, Blackrock Depths)
• Phase 1 - Verdant Footpads (drop from Stonespine, Stratcholme) / Earthfury Boots* (drop from Lucifron, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Earthfury Boots* 
• Phase 3 - Greaves of Ten Storms** (Drop from Broodlord Lashlayer, Blackwing Lair) / Boots of Pure Thought (Trash Drop, Blackwing Lair) / Earthfury Boots* 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Royal Cap Spaulders  (drop from Jandice Barov, Scholomance)
• Phase 1 - Wild Growth Spaulders (drop from Majordomo Executus, Molten Core) / Earthfury Epaulets* (drop from Baron Geddon, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Wild Growth Spaulders / Earthfury Epaulets* 
• Phase 3 - Epaulets of Ten Storms** (Drop from Chromaggus, Blackwing Lair) / Wild Growth Spaulders / Earthfury Epaulets
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Loomguard Armbraces (drop from Kirtonos the Herald, Scholomance)
• Phase 1 - Loomguard Armbraces / Earthfury Bracers* (BoE drop from Trash mobs, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Loomguard Armbraces / Earthfury Bracers*
• Phase 3 - Bracers of Ten Storms** (Drop from Razorgore the Untamed, Blackwing Lair) / Loomguard Armbraces / Earthfury Bracers*
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Sash of Mercy (BoE world drop, can be bought on AH) / Whipvine Cord (drop from Alzzin the Wildshaper, Dire Maul East)
• Phase 1 - Sash of Mercy / Earthfury Belt* (BoE drop from Trash mobs, Molten Core)
• Phase 2 - Earthfury Belt* 
• Phase 3 - Belt of Ten Storms** (Drop from Vaelestrasz the Corrupt, Blackwing Lair) / Earthfury Belt* 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

• Pre-Raid - Hide of the Wild (Created by Leatherworking, the pattern is contained in Knot Thimblejack's Cache, Dire Maul North) / Archivist Cape of Healing (drop from Archivist Galford, Stratcholme; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
• Phase 1 - Hide of the Wild / Archivist Cape of Healing
• Phase 2 - Hide of the Wild / Archivist Cape of Healing
• Phase 3 - Shroud of Pure Thought (Drop from Flamegor, Blackwing Lair) 
• Phase 4 - TBA
• Phase 5 - TBA
• Phase 6 - TBA

*The Earthfury Set Items become Best in Slot when you unlock the (8) Set bonus (which means that you have to collect the whole Set).

**This becomes Best in Slot after collecting at least 3 "The Ten Storms" Set pieces. 

Downranking

Downranking is a method of conserving Mana by using lower ranks of spells. Using this method is flat out necessary to not run out of mana before combat ends. You should memorize how much Health different Ranks of your spells restore and use them accordingly in order to preserve resources.

Note: Higher Rank of any spell is always more cost-effective than lower Rank, but Healing Power changes the math significantly and makes lower Rank spells more cost-effective than their higher Rank counterparts.

Note2: Lowest Ranks of spells have a much lower Healing Power coefficient than higher Ranks do (they receive much less benefit from your Healing Power statistic). This means that you don't usually want to use Spell Ranks lower than 3 (unless Rank 1 or Rank 2 is enough to top your Target on Health).

1. Lesser Healing Wave if Target is about to die (shortest casting time)
2. Dispell negative effects
3. Manage your Totem Buffs
4. Maintain Healing Way and Ancestral Healing effects on your main healing Target (Tank usually)
5. Chain Heal to keep your group topped on Health
6. Healing Wave as a Single-Target heal

1. If you want to do more Healing, sustain yourself throughout encounters better, and stand out from your Raid competition, Stack Consumables. Spending some additional Gold or a few extra hours grinding might secure you a spot in a Raid, as Raid leaders prefer dedicated and well-prepared players.

2. Use Totem Twisting technique (keep your Grace of Air/Tranquil Air Totem Active and swap it with Windfury Totem for a second once every 10 seconds - Cast Windfury Totem immediately followed by Grace/Tranquil) to maximize your group's damage output during burst phases (if you have the mana for it).

3. Time your Totem usage. Totems that dispell harmful effects (Disease Cleansing Totem, Poison Cleansing Totem, Tremor Totem) trigger once every 5 seconds, starting immediately after being placed; they should be dropped as close to 5 seconds before the harmful effect comes to play as possible (but always before the 5-second mark). This will ensure that harmful effects are dispelled immediately after they come into play.

4. Downrank your Spells.  As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Downranking is the key to your success as a Healer as it allows you to preserve your resources for when you actually need them.

5. Don't Cast spells if you don't have to. Try to obey the 5-second rule and take advantage of your Spirit-based mana regeneration whenever possible.

6. Always try to improve. Get an addon that tracks your performance and try to optimize your equipment and rotation.

END NOTE

This Guide should help you to prepare yourself for that legendary Vanilla  Raiding Experience and allow you to progress through Raid Tiers efficiently and with a good amount of fun.

We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative.  If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know! 

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.